Rank
The Garou, like many societies that must fight for their very survival, hold to a strict system of ranks. Among the Garou, rank determines status and shows how much respect a character deserves. As her rank increases, a Garou demonstrates to her sept and to her tribe that she is committed and trustworthy in the fight against the Wyrm. She learns more of the secrets of her tribe with each new rank, though other werewolves have higher expectations for her behavior. Characters begin at Rank 1, and they increase in rank by gaining Renown. Benefits Of Rank Rank among the Garou has many privileges. * Gifts: When a Garou reaches a new rank, she can petition spirits to learn new, more powerful Gifts. To learn a new Gift, a character must not only have the required experience points, but also the Rank equal to the level of the Gift. A Garou cannot buy the respect of his peers and of the spirit world with experience points. The most valuable and powerful Gifts are thus reserved only for those werewolves who have demonstrated great Glory, Honor, and Wisdom. * Rights: The Litany is quite clear: Those of lower station must defer to those higher. As a Garou increases in rank, younger and lower-ranked Garou defer to her. When a character has risen to Rank 3 or higher, werewolf society at large has heard of her. Rank brings with it responsibilities, as werewolves are expected to embark on quests and missions to help the sept and tribe, guard caerns from attack, and lead and look after those lower in station -- as the Litany requires. * Challenges: The legality of a challenge is governed by Rank. A werewolf can only issue a challenge to another who is one rank higher than the werewolf himself: A Rank 1 Garou can challenge a Rank 2 superior, but he cannot challenge anyone of Rank 3 or 4. * Self Control: Characters of high rank have shown discipline, and have immersed themselves in the structure of Garou society so much that they are less likely to frenzy. The following chart shows the bonuses a character gains as his rank rises. Gaining Rank A character needs to acquire enough permanent Renown points for their auspice to progress to the next rank (see the sidebar). Except for the Ragabash, each auspice has a number of points in each category that they must possess. Once they have enough points, they must challenge a Garou of equal or higher Rank to the one they want to attain (although cubs are often given their cliath rank without a challenge). The character can choose whomever she wishes to challenge, but the challenged werewolf decides the nature of the contest, and may make it as simple or as difficult as he desires. If the challenger wins, she is awarded her new Rank. Challenges can be standard, or devised by the challenged Garou. They can be as simple as a dominance challenge, or as elaborate as a quest. They are often specific to the challenger, based on her tribe, auspice, and skills. The following are some examples of Rank challenges - use them as presented, or base your own custom challenges on these. Truly exceptional Garou beyond Rank Five exist. These legends are given special rewards for their courage and service to Gaia, and their names are spoken with the same reverence that we have for Hercules, Miyamoto Musashi, and Joan of Arc. However, such advancement is beyond the mere acquisition of Renown. Legends are part of an exclusive group, and to qualify, a prospective Elder Garou must distinguish herself in an extraordinary fashion more than once. The attainment of the Legend Rank has nothing whatsoever to do with rules -- it's purely a matter of personal judgment on your part, and if there's any doubt in your mind whether or not she has surpassed the mighty deeds of even the greatest of Elders, she hasn't. Only when there's absolutely no question of the character's legendary status should you consider letting her strive for this Rank. When an Elder's reputation spreads so far throughout the Garou Nation that it reaches the ears of existing Legends, one member takes it upon himself to travel to the caern of the Elder in question and investigate her worthiness. Once he has satisfied himself as to the candidate's worthiness (or unworthiness), he contacts three other Legends to present his case. If he convinced them that the candidate is truly worthy, all four Legends arrive at the caern of the candidate and challenge the subject. If the candidate succeeds, she undergoes a special version of the Rite of Accomplishment performed in tandem by the Legends along with the Master of the Rite of the candidate's caern (as a courtesy). Fostern (Rank 2) Acquiring the rank of Fostern means that the Garou has grown from a raw recruit into a seasoned veteran. These werewolves have some familiarity with Garou society, and they have learned the nature of the war they are part of. Suitable challenges for this Rank should be moderately difficult -- they should test the challenger, not overwhelm her. * Convince the challenged Garou through impassioned speech and debate to recognize your Rank. * Compose a song, poem, or tale honoring the challenged Garou. * Defeat an Ahroun of appropriate Rank in a formal duel. * Stand guard at the caern for seventy-two hours without falling asleep. Adren (Rank 3) Those that reach the Rank of Adren have taken on major responsibilities within their sept. They hold most of the positions of consequence, such as Warder, Master of the Rite, and Gatekeeper (among others). Challenges for this Rank should be designed to weed out those who can't act quickly or think on their feet; these are, after all, the future leaders of the sept and the tribe. Very few Garou pass their Adren challenge the first time. * Borrow a fetish from the challenged using body language, gestures, and non-verbal cues to ask for it. * Finish a difficult scavenger hunt within a predefined time. * Create an original (and useful) fetish from scratch within a certain amount of time. * Make peace with an enemy or negotiate a truce between two feuding werewolves. * Find an obscure hero of the Garou and create a fitting tribute. * Withstand severe beatings or taunting from your septmates without frenzying. Athro (Rank 4) Athro have risen very high in the hierarchy of the Garou. They are mighty warriors, renowned lorekeepers, wise leaders, notorious tricksters, and famous judges. Werewolves that want a place among this elite group need to demonstrate exceptional skill and intelligence, and those very rare Garou who manage to attain this Rank on the first try are held in awe even by their peers. * Uncover every aspect of the business plan of an organization of potential interest, and do it without getting caught. * Restore a lost treasure of the tribe or sept. * Convince a spirit to act in a fashion completely contrary to its nature without harming it. * Talk a local street gang (or similar group) into a month of community service. * Write a song praising a rival, and use it to end your differences with him. Rescue a Garou captured by powerful enemies of some sort, such Black Spiral Dancers, Pentex teams, vampires, or magi. Elder (Rank 5) The most difficult challenges await those who seek the Rank of Elder. Elders are at the heart of a sept or tribe, and they hold the fate of the Garou Nation in their hands. Their decisions guide the Garou. Their deeds are held up as examples for younger werewolves to follow. Their mistakes can cause severe harm to Gaia, the Garou, or the war against the Wyrm. These kinds of challenges should test every quality the werewolf has. * Visit a caern of each tribe without being noticed, recognized, or challenged, and bring back proof of each visit. * Locate a lost caern and convince a totem spirit to adopt it. * Redeem, cleanse, and rename a powerful Bane without using Gifts (other than Spirit Speech). * Find a Garou lost in Harano and reclaim him. * Destroy a powerful Wyrm artifact. * Lead a group against a major Wyrm creature or other enemy, and defeat it without losing any of your comrades.